Forensic Science Curriculum Requirements

Forensic Science Curriculum

As of May 2012, the Faculty Senate of Fairmont State University approved the following revised curriculum for the forensic science major. The new curriculum was designed by the Forensic Science Coordinating Committee in consultation with the Forensic Science Advisory Board to strengthen the degree and to align it with the requirements of the FEPAC (Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Committee). This curriculum will be in effect for students entering in the fall of 2012, and students in the pipeline will also be encouraged to use the new curriculum requirements.

4. Additional specialization courses. A minimum of 19 additional semester hours in courses that provide greater depth in the student’s area of specialization. An undergraduate degree in forensic science should be an interdisciplinary degree that includes substantial laboratory work and an emphasis on advanced (upper level) coursework in either chemistry or biology. Students can use these additional courses to begin to specialize along a forensic science discipline track, such as forensic biology or forensic chemistry.

A. Specialization courses required for all students in our curriculum:

BIOL 3380 (4) Genetics

BIOL 3390 (4) Molecular Biotechnology

CHEM 4403 or BIO 4495 (2) Research/Problems courses

Subtotal hours: 10

B. Specialization choices from which students choose at least 9 additional hours (no more than 6 hours may be CRJU courses)

BIOL 2224 (4) Microbiology

BIOL 4420 (4) Developmental Biology

CHEM 3301 (4) Physical Chemistry I

CHEM 3304 (4) Inorganic Chemistry I

CHEM 4402 (4) Physical Chemistry II

CHEM 4404 (4) Sythetic Methods and Materials

Subtotal hours: 9

5. Courses required in our curriculum because of prerequisite requirements that do not fit anywhere in the FEPAC specifications: